Improvement in railway-gates



4 Sheets-Sheet 1. RAMSEY 61. STAFFORD.

Railroad Gate, 110,. 101,311. I Patented March 29, 1870.

. 4 SheetsSheet 2 RAMSEY & STAFFQRD- Railroad Gate.

Patented March 29,- 1870.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 3. RAMSEY 61 STAFFORD.

Railroad Gate.

No. 101.311. Patented March 29.1870. 1

4 Sheets-Sheet 4. RAMSEY & STAFFORD.

Railroad Gate. I No. 101,311." PatentedmMarqhu29, 1870. v

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PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT RAMSEY AND CHARLES STAFFORD, OF NEV \VILMINGTON, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 101,3 l I, dated March29, 1870.

' form a part of this-specification.

The nature of our invention consists in the construction and generalarrangement of a falling railroad-gate; also in the construction andarrangement for operating the same.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our inventionappertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to de scribeits construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a front view, of thegate with the mechanism for operating the same. Fig. 3 is aside view ofthe mechanism for raising the gate. Fig. at is a perspective view of theworm that operates todrop the gate; Fig. 5, a vertical 1on gitudinalsection; Fig. 6, a cross-section, and Fig. 7 aplan.

We construct our gate as-follows: We make a shaft, A, of wood or iron ofsuitable thickness and as long as is necessary for the width ofrailroad-car, said shaft having turned journals where it is hung in thebearings. In the shaftA are drilled or punched holes at proper distancesfor the'pickets B B, taking care to have one picket pass close to theinside of each rail, and all so arranged as not to interfere with anyother part of the work. The pickets B B must be put in after the shaftis hung in its place and fastened with keys or screwnuts. The shaft Amay be hung in the rails by drilling and fixing boxes; or it may be hungin boxes placed on the tie under the raihs, as shown in the drawings.WVe then construct two shafts, O O, on which the flanges of theear-wheels are to operate to put down or open the'gate. These shafts aremade of round iron or iron tubing of suitable diameter, and their lengthdepends upon the speed with which From sixteen to twenty feet in lengthwill, however, be

about the proper size. The worm or flange Z) is made from boiler orother iron, and is fastened to the shaft 0 by means of the pins a a.These pins are set in aspiral form around the shaft from the end wherethe wheels first strike the'flange to a point within or about five feetfrom the opposite end, and for the remaining distance are in a straightline or on a line parallel to the axis of the shaft. By this means thegate is fully opened before the forward end of the engine reaches it. 76then construct a metal head-block, D, so as to straddle the shaft-A ofthe gate, fastening the foot on the tie, and taking care that it doescow-catcher. The width of this block must be to suit the geared wheelsthat are hung therein. These wheels, which are all'beveled, consist ofone drive-wheel, E, of suitable diameter, having twenty cogs, and twosmaller wheels, FF, having each twelve cogs. These smaller wheels areput one on each of the worm-shafts on the'end having the straight partof the flange 1). The shaft must be hung so that when the flange of theworm on shaft 0 is in a horizontal position it will be as much below thetop of the rail as the depth of the flange on the car-wheel. The extremeends of the shafts C C will be hung in boxes placed on the tie or blocksput in for this purpose, and the flanges b I) must be so near the railsthat the flange of the car-wheel will catch it and put down the gate.

To have the wheels gear properly, set both flanges of the worms at theextreme ends ex actly horizontal, as the car-wheel will catch them; thenslip the drive-wheel E into its place, and the arm G that moves the gatemust be fastened on the drive-wheel exactly in a vertical position. Thisarm is fastened or connected to one of the pickets B of the gate by apin, (1, which moves in a slot, m, as shown. If the shaft A should behung in the rails,then the drive-wheel E must be put on so as to operatewithout the armthat is, will be put on the shaft itself. \Ve thenconstruct two stringpieces, H H, about three inches wide and of the samelength as the shafts O 0. be iron, or of wood covered with band-iron,and are placed at the opposite side of the track from the shaft 0 O,tohold down the gate.

not extend so high as to interfere with the These may This is effectedby the pressure of the carwheels. We would observe that the stringersshould be sufficiently sloped at their ends, so

that the pressure upon them will.be gradual when about to be operated bythe enginewheels. The string-pieces H H areplaced on springs e 0, sothat when there is no weight on them they stand above the rail justenough so that the cow-catcher will not catch on them, and leavinga-space between them and the rail sufficient to allow one of the picketsof the gate to pass between. The springs e 6 may be made in any suitablemanner to answer the purpose for which'they are intended; but'we preferusing the elliptic spring. Studs L are placed in the ties close to theinner edges of the string-pieces, to serve as guides to keep them totheir place when slipping up and down. An iron eye or loop, M, is fixedto the edge of the string-piece to slipover the stud L, and so carry itstraight. A pin, f, is then put through the picket of the gate next tothe string-piece, so that the pin will lap, say, about one inchon thestring-piece. Now put the gate down, so thatthe pin f will touch thestring-piece, then cut a notch, O,through, and let the gate down. on thestring-piece it will catch on the said pin, so as to hold the gate down;or there may be a dog fixed under the string-piece con nected with thespring to hold the gate down. NVe then construct a wheel, I, of roundiron of suitable diameter, with a bar, J, across the center, with anaxle on which the wheel will turn. A washer, is, is put 011 the rim ateach side of the bar and at both ends. The rim on each side is thenfitted with a spiral spring, z, of sufficient power to lift the gate.We'place two uprights at the end of the gateshaft in which to hang thewheel I with the axle parallel with the gate-shaft, and as low as it canbe put to rest on the tie. The uprights where the rim passes should beas small as the strength required will bear. Then, in

By now pressing down placing the wheel between them, place one of thewashers on each side of the uprights above and below, so that when thewheel is turned the washer will catch on the upright and hold the springz. NVhen the wheel stands without strain on the springs, place the arm Kon the axle, as shown. When the car moves on the worm O and puts downthe gate, it carries the wheel I round and tightens the springs '13, so

that when'the car-wheel leaves the string pieces H the springs t on thewheel I will lift the gate and hold it shut.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The'gate operated by worm-shafts O O, constructed as described, withflanges b b, and. operated by the pressure of the car-wheel,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The string-pieces H H, operated by the pressure of the car wheels ontop, and by springs e e underneath, substantially as and for thepurposes herein set forth.

3. The wheel I, with the spiral springs it, washers 7c, and arm K, forlifting the-gate, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The arrangement of the worm-shafts C 0, wheels F F and E, arm G, andpin (1, all constructed 'as described, and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination and arrangement of the gate A B, worm-shafts G G,string-pieces H H, arms G and K, and wheel I, all constructed andconnected as described, and operating substantially in the manner andfor the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we our signatures inpresence of two witnesses.

It. RAMSEY. O. STAFFORD.

\Vitnesses:

THOMAS Po'MERoY, J. A. SLoAN.

